Head Over Heels
by QueenMaple
Summary: She fell head over heels into Narnia, and head over heels into love. Can he tell her how he felt during all those years now that they're back in the real world?
1. Chapter 1

"Professor, if you met someone in Narnia that you hadn't met here, what are the chances of meeting them again?" Peter asked. It had been several days since their return from Narnia and he couldn't get his mind off of one Sophie Andrews. He had never mustered enough courage to tell her what he should have been telling her every day from the day he met her: that is, he never told her that he loved her. Then again, what would have been the point? He might never see her again and waste his time pining for her. Peter would never consider her a waste of time, though, which made his thoughts run around in circles.

"It is a possibility, although it might not be probable considering the vast number of people here on Earth," Professor Kirke answered. He stood looking out of his office window, his back to his young charge. For a moment he found himself wondering what kind of logic they were teaching school children these days. It was slightly troubling how illogical they seemed to reason as they grew, but perhaps that was just their way of muddling from childhood to adulthood. At any rate, the least he could do was help Peter. "Just who did you meet?"

"A girl." The Professor turned and looked at him inquisitively. "And Su said that she'd seen her at school before," Peter elaborated. "She came the exact moment we did but none of us knew why. The prophecy only spoke of two sons of Adam and two daughters of Eve, after all. Aslan wouldn't give us a straight answer either. Only now that we've come back, I've figured it out and I would never forgive myself if I didn't let her know in some way something that I've known from the start." He took a deep breath as he waited for a reaction.

"It seems like you've got a lot on your mind, m'boy," Professor Kirke said after a moment. "Why don't you take a walk out back and clear your head."

Peter nodded and left the Professor's study with his thoughts still circling each other. All he needed to know was whether or not he would see Sophie again. Once he was certain, then perhaps he would feel a little less sick all of the time. The oldest Pevensie wandered around until he found a rock, on which he sat until he heard Lucy calling him.

"Peter! Peter!" she shouted, joy the only emotion on her seven year old face. "Guess who's here! Guess! Guess!" she continued. She stopped right in front of him barely able to keep still.

"Er, I dunno, Lu. Mum?" he guessed.

Lucy didn't answer but took him by the hand and led him back into the house. Peter was thoroughly confused as she led him through the kitchen and several hallways towards the front entrance. Susan and Edmund were standing there with someone Susan's height, which ruled out the possibility of it being their mother. Mrs. Pevensie was taller than all of her children save Peter, for now.

"I found him," Lucy sang. Susan and Edmund moved away, revealing a very familiar face.

"Hello Peter."

_"It was the strangest thing," Sophie recalled. "I was sitting in front of my looking glass getting ready for a party that Hannah Parker was throwing. Imagine having a party while there's a war going on around you! Mother was none too pleased about my going. She wanted to send me off so that I wouldn't die but Father wanted me at home in case he came back early. _

_"Well, I'm sitting there when all of a sudden I see a lion looking at me. Imagine that! I twist around to look behind me and there was no lion, so I thought nothing more of it. When I glance back in the glass, I see a valley full of colorful tents. I knew that certainly could not have been in my room, so I leaned in closer. My nose should have touched the surface, but it went straight though! And the next thing I knew, I'd fallen head over heels into Narnia."_

"Sophie," Peter said in surprise. "What, how, why, when –"

"She's been here no more than ten minutes, Peter," Susan interrupted, fighting to keep the smile on her face from growing any bigger.

"I told you Mother wanted me away from the house. As soon as I got back from Hannah Parker's party I told her that I'd heard from Jackie, who'd heard from Abbey, who'd heard from Hannah that my very good friend Susan was staying with Professor Kirke and that I wanted to stay there," Sophie explained all in one large breath. She couldn't help smiling at her own cleverness. "Of course, Mother was confused as to who Susan Pevensie was because I rarely mentioned her name."

"Well we weren't _very_ good friends last term," laughed Susan. She linked arms with Sophie, glad to have her friend back so soon.

"Yes, well last term was ages and ages ago," Sophie insisted.

"Come on, Sophie," Lucy said, tugging at her hand. "We can't stand here all day! Let's go see which room Mrs. Macready has given to you."

_"Peter, er, Your Majesty," Sophie said. "You're nearing twenty-nine years of age. Your people are beginning to wonder when you will take a bride."_

_"What for? What will my getting married do to better Narnia? You know how tongue tied I get when I talk to girls."_

_"You sound like you're seventeen again, Peter. Aren't you talking to me?" She held up her hand when he started to protest. "Aside from the obvious idea of an heir, they want to see you happy. Your siblings and advisors can see that something is wrong."_

_"Nothing is wrong, Sophie. You of all people should know that. And what about what I want?" he asked angrily._

_"You're absolutely right, Peter. I should, but I don't. Do you even know what you want, Peter?" she asked in return, sorrow in her eyes. The rift between them was growing wider with every passing day. When he didn't answer, Sophie curtsied and left his chambers. _

_"Sophie," he called softly, still rooted to the spot. He sighed in frustration and went to his desk. Unlocking the top drawer he pulled out an engagement band. It had been commissioned months ago when he had begun to seriously entertain thoughts of matrimony. "How could I even begin to tell you?" _

Peter watched Sophie talking animatedly with Susan as he sat by the radio. They were still the close sisters they had been in Narnia. She was still no doubt the sister who would side with Ed and the sister who would spoil Lucy. Would she and Peter still share their bond of friendship? With his head in the clouds he hadn't imagined that Sophie would walk back into his life only days after they had left Narnia. On top of that, he had almost forgotten how strained their relationship had become as they had grown older. He wasn't ready to face her just yet.

Sophie and Susan left with Lucy to tuck her into bed. While Susan was brushing her teeth Lucy asked, "Will you sing me a lullaby like you used to Sophie?"

"What's the magic word?"

"Please," Lucy added.

The older girl smiled and obliged, "I pray you'll be our eyes, and watch us were we go.  
And help us to be wise, in times when we don't know.  
Let this be our prayer, when we lose our way.  
Lead us to a place, guide us with your grace,  
To a place where we'll be safe.

We ask that life be kind, and watch us from above.  
We hope each soul will find another soul to love.  
Let this be our prayer, just like every child.  
Need to find a place, guide us with your grace.  
Give us faith so we'll be safe."

She kissed the top of Lucy's head and looked up to see Peter watching her from the hall. Susan had just entered the room, so she went to him. He had been awkward with her since she arrived. Granted, he had become a little distant to her while they were still in Narnia. She had tried not to let that come between them, hoping that he might explain himself. He never did and she was still waiting. She knew that there was something he was holding inside of himself, something he hadn't even told Lu, Ed, or Susan. But she didn't want to pry, lest it break their fragile friendship.

"Peter," she called softly into the parlor. The only light came from the fireplace. She could see his outline against it. "Peter," she called again. Biting her bottom lip, she crossed over to where he stood. She comfortingly put her hand on his shoulder but he remained as silent as ever.

They remained there like that for some time until he looked down at her. The first thing that he noticed was that the firelight gave her golden curls a reddish tint. Then she looked into his eyes and he saw her grey orbs filled with confusion. She wanted so much for him to be the same Peter he was at this age in Narnia. That Peter hadn't been so guarded around her. That Peter had been kinder and less formal. Unfortunately, that Peter had grown up and was now standing before her.

"I'm so sorry, Sophie," he finally said. He gently kissed her forehead before leaving. If only he knew what his leaving would bring about…


	2. Chapter 2

_"Lady Sophie of Narnia," the herald announced. She inclined her head graciously towards him and proceeded to her seat. _

_"Queen Lucy the Valiant." She smiled regally at her guests before taking her seat. _

_"King Edmund the Just." Sophie nudged Lucy and nodded her head towards the young Archenland duchesses. Both girls suppressed smiles and giggles. _

_"Queen Susan the Gentle." There were many suitors and ambassadors from countries beyond the sea, the Lone Islands, Archenland, and even Calormen for her tonight. She would turn away most when asked for a dance, not only because she was uninterested but also because of her preference for watch the merrymaking. _

_"High King Peter the Magnificent." The three young ladies rolled their eyes as he came forward. There were many here tonight hoping that he'd be after their hand. They would get nothing, unfortunately for them, for Peter was far more concerned with politics than romance._

_As the dinner commenced, Sophie couldn't help but notice how handsome her best friend was becoming. For the past twelve years that they had been in Narnia, she had found herself falling deeper and deeper in love with him. She shook her head, knowing that he would probably never return those feelings. He would never see her as more than his best friend. Despite all that she put a smile on her face, determined to enjoy the evening. _

_Several hours later Lucy felt like she might burst from keeping her giggles to herself. Sophie had just gotten Peter to dance with her for the third time and the youngest Pevensie knew that almost every female in the room was green with envy. Susan joined her sister on a bench on the balcony just outside the Banquet Hall. Both knew that Sophie loved Peter; she had admitted it to them once. And both knew that Peter secretly loved Sophie, though he'd never tell a soul. And both hoped that they would marry, knowing that things would be absolutely blissful if they did._

Lucy sighed and looked resentfully at the book Susan had given her to read. Even though they were miles away from school, Susan figured that they could still learn something. This made the youngest Pevensie yearn for Narnia even more.

Besides not having boring lessons, Peter and Sophie might be friends again. Lucy had hoped that the two would patch things up. So far nothing had happened. She wondered what had ever come between them in the first place. She remembered that they had been in Narnia for almost ten years when it became evident that some sort of falling out had taken place. To that day neither Lucy nor Edmund nor Susan had a clue as to what it was exactly. Of course they all had their theories, but Sophie and Peter were as tight lipped around them as they were with each other.

Sophie had also hoped she could make amends with Peter. She couldn't even rightly recall what she had done to him or if he had done something to her. It had happened very subtly, to be sure. She looked over at him sitting at the desk, staring out the window. The weather outside was grey and dreary. It reflected the moods of everyone in the study.

"This is so boring Su," Edmund complained. "I'm tired of guessing what words mean out of the dictionary."

"He does have a point," Sophie agreed, getting up out of her chair.

"You haven't changed a bit," Susan replied a bit sharply. "You always stand up for Ed." She snapped the large dictionary shut.

"How much could I have changed in the space of a few days?" Sophie asked. There was a slightly defensive edge in her voice.

"Let's play a game," Lucy suggested, sensing the mounting tension.

"Please don't say hide and seek," Peter muttered to himself.

"Let's play hide and seek!" she suggested brightly. "I'll be it!" Before the others had time to protest, she began counting. "1, 2, 3, 4, 5…"

The older children dashed out of the study heading in different directions. Sophie hid herself in a coat closet on the first floor near the back of the house. She left the door ajar just a hair. Moments later she heard footsteps coming closer, so she pressed herself against the wall, keeping herself out of the light. The next thing she knew, Peter hurled himself in and closed the door completely.

"Ow!" Sophie cried when he stepped backwards and onto her foot.

Peter moved about and crouched down in front of her, peering through the darkness. It was pitch-black save for the crack of light coming from under the door. "Sophie?" he asked.

"No, I'm Susan, can't you tell from my voice?" she replied sarcastically.

"Sorry, Sophie," he apologized. "I'll go hide somewhere else."

She grabbed around for his hand as he got up to leave. "Wait Peter." He stopped when she managed to get a hold of his arm. "I want to talk to you."

"This isn't entirely the best time or place, Sophie," he commented.

She sighed heavily. "I know, I know. But I've a lot I need to say to you that is really important."

Peter looked at the door and then down at Sophie. "Let's go to my room."

_"Are you sure I can just sneak out like this?" Peter asked._

_"Absolutely!" Sophie replied. "Let's go."_

_She led him stealthily through the corridors of Cair Paravel, grateful that they had yet to run into anyone else. She peered around the corner and once she was sure that no one would see them, she made a mad dash for the window. Peter followed shortly after, a worried look marring his features. They lowered themselves out of the palace and into the apple orchard._

_"It's my duty to be studying the history of our land," Peter said in protest, stopping._

_"Not today, it isn't," Sophie replied. "You also have a duty to yourself, Your Majesty. You need to have a little fun every now and again!" She continued on her way, in the direction of the stables._

_"What exactly did you have in mind?"_

"What exactly did you want to talk about?" Peter asked when they reached his room. He sat on his bed and watched Sophie walk to the window. She stared at the gathering storm clouds for a moment before looking back at him.

"Do you remember when we used to sneak out of the palace to go horseback riding?" she asked, her voice so quiet that Peter wasn't sure she had spoken at all.

"Yes, that was fun," he answered, smiling at the memory. Truth be told, he had started to miss those kinds of spontaneous adventures. It was something that he had taken for granted. Hoping that she might recount one of their adventures, he joined her by the window.

"Then why did we stop doing that?"

"I got busier, I guess," he said without looking at her. He didn't want to see the hurt in her eyes. "We grew up."

"We aren't grown up now," she whispered. "Why can't we have fun now?"

His eyes found hers and he didn't see hurt or anger or any of the emotions he'd expected. Instead, he saw loneliness.

_Sophie sat at her vanity, brushing her impossibly long, golden hair. It was a beautiful summer's day, but she had absolutely no desire to go out. She was reminded of similar days from many years ago when she would have already been out for hours. Those days were long gone for she had grown up and matured since then, becoming one of High King Peter's closest advisors. _

_"Come in," she called when there was a knock on the door. _

_"Aren't you going to come, Sophie?" Peter asked, entering her chambers. "Mr. Tumnus said he sighted the White Stag in Lantern Waste. Don't you want to hunt it with us?" _

_"You go have fun with the royal family, Majesty," she replied, setting down her hair brush. "The four of you could use some bonding time and what not. You can tell me all about your adventures when you return."_

_"You're family Sophie. You've been with us since the beginning," Peter said. _

_She knew how true that could be, but things had changed. She didn't need to stand up for Edmund as she had always done. Lucy couldn't possibly be given anything more but attention which she received plenty of from other people. Susan was still there to talk to, but there always seemed to be a suitor clinging to her. Peter held the weight of Narnia on his shoulders. There was the occasional sighting of what was thought to be a dark creature, but not much in that way of worrying about safety or war. Now his concern was trading and such. He accepted Sophie's advice gladly, but they had been at odds with each other lately. The truth of the matter was that Sophie felt like the Pevensies had outgrown her. She'd simply been a companion of theirs for so long and now each had their own things to attend to. _

_"Peter! Hurry up!" Edmund called. _

_"Go to them," Sophie said softly. "I'll be here when you get back."_

_She forced a smile on her face and ushered Peter to the door. He looked questioningly at her but she just shook her head. Without warning he pulled her into a tight hug. She stiffened in surprise, confused by his sudden affection after countless months without it. He let go of her and with one last glance at her shaky smile, headed off to hunt the White Stag. _


	3. Chapter 3

"Professor, I'm worried about Peter," Susan admitted bluntly one morning shortly after breakfast.

"And why exactly are you worried about him?"

She hesitated. "I'm not entirely sure. I have a feeling that he's hiding something. I suspected it when we were in Narnia too. When we returned, I thought that perhaps everything would go back to normal. It seems as if things have only gotten worse since Sophie came, though. She was likely to be the only one who he might open up to, but he's always avoiding her."

Professor Kirke stayed silent for a few moments as he debated how to handle this delicate situation. "I think," he began, "that we should let time work this out. I know it may seem like a lot of time has already passed, but this really is something he must figure out on his own."

"Thank you, Professor," Susan replied. She left the Professor's study, taking her time in returning to the room that she shared with Lucy to think. There had to be something that they could do before Peter became even more of a wreck.

"Well?" Lucy asked as soon as her sister entered their room. The older girl slumped into the chair by the window and stared outside. "Well?" she asked again. "What did he say, Su?"

"He said to let time work things out," was the bitter reply. She sighed in frustration. "I can't just stand by and let two people I love hurt each other. I have to do something about it!"

"Have Peter and Edmund had a row again?" asked Sophie, coming in with fresh blankets in her arms.

"Er, yes," Susan lied. It wasn't a very big lie, though. Peter and Edmund _were_ always fighting.

"What a shame," the other girl replied. She stuck the linen in the closet. "It's too bad they went back to all that bickering after Ed seemed to grow up." A shadow flitted across her eyes. "I'll be in my room if you need me."

Lucy and Susan stared after her. Such a great change had come over Sophie and it wasn't at all for the better.

_"Catch!" Lucy shrieked. She chucked the wicker ball to Sophie, but Peter darted in front of her and snatched it out of the air. _

_"Hey! That wasn't fair!" Sophie complained breathlessly, brushing her hair out of her face. A few strands had escaped her braid and the sweat on her forehead was making them stick. Susan, Ed, and Lucy laughed, equally breathless from what had started as a simple game of catch._

_"It was so," Peter replied, tossing the ball up. Sophie made a move for it then, but he got it first. She stuck her tongue out at him and gave him a mighty shove. As he fell he grabbed her hand, bringing her down with him. With a soft gasp she landed on top of him. Taking advantage of their disorienting position, she tried to grab the ball from him again. _

_"Peter! Give us the ball back!" she cried as he held it away from her. _

_"You could at least say please, Lady Sophie," he teased. _

_She rolled her eyes. "Please may I have the ball back, High King Peter the Magnificent, sir?" she asked, batting her eyelashes and leaning against him. She could see color working its way onto his cheeks._

_"Well since you asked so politely…no, I don't think so," he said, rolling her off of him and getting up quickly. "Ed! Catch!" _

_"Are you alright, Sophie?" Lucy asked. The older girl lay on her back laughing. _

_"I think she's fine, Lu," Susan chuckled. _

Susan watched Sophie tell Lucy a bedtime story. The two were buried under Lucy and Sophie's blankets like they used to do in Narnia. She smiled, wishing for the peace of their first years in Narnia. Or at least, the peace between the five of them. They had spent those years squashing out the remains of the White Witch's army.

"Those were the days," she murmured softly.

"What were the days?" Edmund asked curiously from behind her.

"When we were in Narnia and things were good," Susan explained. She leaned her head against the doorframe, smiling wistfully.

"Things are still good," said Peter, joining his siblings.

Susan scoffed. "Well they could be better," she said pointedly.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Su," he replied. "Things are still good." He went on to his room, Susan's sad eyes on his back.

"What's going on around here?" muttered Ed. He shook his head before giving his sister a quick hug. "G'night, Su." Then he headed off after Peter.

"Good night, Ed." Susan looked back into her room when she heard a trickle of laughter escape from Lucy's bed. "Come now, you two. It's time for bed already."

"But Susan," Lucy whined, her head emerging from the lump of linen.

"I'm almost done," Sophie added, not emerging.

"You need to be off to your own room, Miss Andrews," Susan reprimanded teasingly.

"But Governess, I've already brought my blankets over." Sophie's head appeared with a grin that said she wasn't going anywhere any time soon.

"Oh, honestly, Sophie," Susan sighed, climbing into her bed.

_"What are you two doing?" Susan hissed. It was two o'clock in the morning and laughter was sounding from Sophie's bedchambers. _

_"Sorry, Su," Lucy giggled. Sophie snorted loudly. _

_"What is going on over here?" Peter asked, rubbing his eyes. _

_"Sorry, Peter," Sophie apologized, appearing at the door. "Go back to sleep."_

_"Why are there still lights on in your room, Sophie?" he asked. _

_"I couldn't sleep," Lucy answered. "Why don't you two come in?"_

_Peter shrugged and followed Sophie inside. Susan grumbled and went back to her own rooms, leaving the three to their own devices. Lucy sat before the fire in a nest of blankets. A similar one, previously occupied by Sophie, was constructed next to her. Sophie came in with more blankets and made a nest for Peter._

_"I hope his High Kingliness finds his nest to his liking," she laughed. She had a very beautiful laugh in Peter's mind, even at two o'clock in the morning._

_"I think it's perfect, Lady Sophie," he replied, settling into his. _

_"Now what is it that has you two fair maidens giggling like mad this early in the morning?" he asked, quite seriously. Or so he tried to appear. _

_Lucy looked at Sophie, who bit her lip. The younger girl began giggling, which set Sophie off. Soon the latter was snorting, which caused Peter to start laughing as well. Eventually Susan came back again. This time, she didn't even bother knocking, but let herself in. _

_"Honestly, you three!" she cried, throwing her hands up in the air. "Is this how royalty behaves?"_

_"Well," Sophie managed to say through her laughter. "Well, technically I'm not royalty."_

_The look on the other girl's face set the three of them off again._

Peter woke up in the middle of the night, quite suddenly. He shook his head and peered groggily at the clock. It was one thirty in the morning. As his head cleared he heard the distinct laughs of his sisters and Sophie. Slipping out of bed, he went down the hall to investigate.

"I don't even remember what got us laughing in the first place!" he heard Lucy exclaim.

"I do!" Sophie whispered excitedly. "I was telling you a story and then…"

He opened the door in time to see her make the wildest face he had ever seen. The three girls were sent into another bout of laughter. "I seem to recall a night very similar to this," he remarked when they had quieted.

"Oh, did we wake you, Peter?" Lucy asked.

"Not really. I couldn't sleep anyway," he answered. He was as surprised as they were that he was so level headed after just waking up. He sat on Lucy's bed, which was occupied by Sophie. Lucy was under the covers with Susan.

"I'm sorry anyway," Sophie apologized, taking the blame. She smoothed the blankets out around her to busy her hands.

"We really ought to quite down. Mrs. MacReady might come bite our heads off," Susan said sullenly. Lucy wiggled farther under her sister's bedcovers.

"It wouldn't hurt to stay up a little later," said Peter, shrugging his shoulders.

"Should I go wake Ed?" Lucy asked, hoping that they would say no. She was already very comfortable as she was.

"I wouldn't," replied Sophie. She shuddered at the thought."He's a bear when he's woken up."

"You shouldn't be one to complain. You never wake him up," Susan stated.

"Well I used to," the other girl defended. "I still have the scar on my arm from when he threw things at me for waking him up."

"Sophie, that's because you poured a bucket of water on him!" Susan exclaimed. They continued to reminisce until they all nodded off and the candle flickered out.


	4. Chapter 4

_Peter woke to find another body in his bed. Blinking, he slowly lifted the covers to peer beneath them. "Sophie?" _

_She moved ever so slightly and lifted her head. She looked at him through her hair as it fell forward on her face. "Good morning," she said sweetly. _

_"Sophie, what in Aslan's name are you doing here?" he asked, propping himself up on the pillows. _

_"Well I __was__ sleeping." He shook his head in amusement. "I couldn't sleep last night because I had this awful dream." She shuddered. "I came in here, but I didn't want to wake you. So I just slipped in next to you. I'm sorry." _

_"Nonsense. What did you dream about?" he asked softly. She shook her head and buried herself in the feathery down comforters. He pulled her into a hug and held her there, resting his chin on the top of her head. After a few minutes he chuckled and remarked, "Hopefully Susan doesn't find us or she'll get all the wrong ideas."_

_She giggled and snuggled closer to Peter, falling back asleep. The light filtering through the curtains told him it was time to get up, but he didn't move a muscle. Instead, he let the happiness Sophie emanated wash over him. He could worry about his kingly duties later._

What was it about Sophie that made Peter so happy? He wasn't sure that he would ever be able to answer that question. Even after having grown up once he wasn't any closer to figuring it out. Nor was he any closer to being able to tell her that he loved her. Yes, he loved her. There was no denying that any more. Up until she actually arrived at the Professor's house he had been set on telling her so.

"Ah! Peter, look—" Lucy cried.

Peter turned his head in the direction of her voice. Before he could register what was flying towards his head, he was hit by a balled-up pair of stockings. "Oof!" he groaned.

His youngest sister rushed over to him, a guilty look on her face. "Why were you standing there like that, anyway?" Lucy asked, an almost scolding tone in her voice. She retrieved the article of clothing before walking back into the room that she shared with Susan.

"Why were you throwing your stockings around?" he asked back childishly.

"It serves him right." Sophie's voice came from around the corner, and a moment later she appeared carrying a pile of neatly folded laundry. "What was he thinking sneaking into my bed the other night?" Her cheeks turned pink, embarrassed by how forward she was being. But after the progress she was making in repairing her friendship with Peter, she couldn't help her chipper mood.

Susan laughed and came out of the room to stand next to her brother. She placed her hand on his shoulder. "We all know that you like Sophie, Peter, but you could at least be a gentleman about it," she chided, a scheming glint in her eye. Peter needed more than time to figure out his problems.

"Wait, I never said I…I mean…" he trailed off, avoiding Sophie's eyes. "What do any of you silly girls know about anything, anyway!" he cried before stalking down the hall. The sound of his feet against the wooden floors echoed loudly in the quiet house.

Three pairs of eyes watched him go. "Well now, isn't he behaving like Ed?" Lucy asked. She looked up at Sophie. "But there's an answer for you."

"Lu!" Sophie's cheeks reddened. "Here's your laundry. Have you finished cleaning your room yet?" she inquired, changing the subject.

"It's my job to be the nagging big sister, Soph. You go after Peter."

"_You know him the best. Go see what's bothering him, please," Susan pleaded. The High King had just made an abrupt exit from the breakfast table. The night before he had met with some traders, but everyone assumed that the talks had gone well._

_Sophie twisted her napkin in her lap. "I really think we should let him work this one out on his own. He's a grown adult after all," she countered. He didn't need her to tend to him anymore. He hadn't needed her for anything lately. _

"_That's not true!" Lucy cried. She rose from her seat and slammed her palms down on the table. "I'm so tired of how oblivious the two of you are!"_

"_Lucy…" Susan whispered, her eyes wide. But it didn't matter. Sophie was already running out the door. _

_Did it really seem that Peter loved her back? Had she truly been so ignorant to his feelings as she tried to hide her own?_

Sometimes people never changed. Peter always sought a place to clear his mind near water. Sophie had to admit that there was something soothing about the sound of running water. It was fortunate that Professor Kirke had a small brook running along the southernmost part of his property. She had meant to approach him quietly, but the dry grass and leaves made that nearly impossible.

Peter spun around at the noise. It was evident that he had been doing some serious thinking from the way the dirt was embedded with footprints, a tell-tale sign of pacing. He must have been annoyed too, because there were water marks on his pants, as if he had thrown something into the water and gotten splashed.

"I know this is a silly question, Peter, but are you alright?" Sophie asked. She walked closer to him, her heart hammering inside her chest.

As quickly as he had turned to face her, Peter turned away. For all the bravery and courage that he possessed, he could not confront her. There were plenty of reasons that he ought to tell her the truth. She made him inexplicably happy, but even he knew that lately he had only caused her heartache. She was always there to comfort him, but he could never reach out to her.

"I'll take that as a no, then," she sighed, stopping in her tracks. "Peter, we really need to talk, just you and me. You can't keep avoiding me like this," she said, trying to keep her tone even. Her emotions were threatening to spill out after being kept in for such a long time. They had grown into adults together in Narnia, which seemed like almost an entire lifetime. Here and now, she didn't want to make the same mistake twice.

"I'm tired, Peter," she continued. "I'm sick of not knowing what I did to deserve this treatment. We were best friends. Then suddenly you started pushing me away. How do you think I felt? Just fine? I felt worthless and useless, Peter. I don't know why I kept trying though, when it was obvious you didn't care a whit. I-"

"That's not true," Peter said at last, cutting her off. He struggled as he tried to form a coherent sentence. Everything in his mind was just so jumbled up. "I did care. I still do. But I was only a boy, Sophie, and I was growing into a man without any kind of guidance. Did you really expect me to able to express my feelings?"

"Not at first, but eventually, yes!" Sophie cried, throwing up her hands. She shook her head. "I can't believe you're making excuses like this."

"I'm not trying to make excuses," he replied angrily. "I'm sorry I didn't act on my feelings back then. But I'm trying to fix that now."

"No you aren't! You haven't done a single thing differently than the last five years that we spent in Narnia. You're keeping your distance from me, even now. Maybe you'll have everything figured out in the next five years, but until then, I'm done trying." With her bitter words hanging in the air, Sophie hurried back to the house, blocking Peter's yells of protest out of her mind.

"That couldn't have gone well," Edmund remarked as he saw Sophie approaching.

"Oh no…" Susan sighed, joining him by the window. "Lucy, I think…Lucy?" She and Edmund looked around the room, but the youngest Pevensie was nowhere in sight.


	5. Chapter 5

Sophie, Susan, and Lucy sat in the kitchen, silently munching on apples. It had been nearly a week since Sophie had confronted Peter, and things had only gone from bad to worse. The two avoided each other at what seemed to be all costs. Meals had become practically lifeless; any talking was forced and died rather quickly. Susan and Lucy watched their friend, wishing that their brother didn't have to be so thick.

"Oh." Peter walked in, but walked right back out without another word. He strode into the first open door he came across, annoyed with himself. If he could just pluck up the courage to say three small words, then everything would be fine. At least he trusted that it would. After the way Sophie had confessed her own feelings he wasn't as sure anymore.

"Hullo, Peter."

The boy turned around with a start. "Professor!" he cried. He hadn't realized that he had walked into the Professor's study.

"What brings you here on this fine, sunny afternoon?" Professor Kirke asked from where he sat behind his desk. Several books were open around him and his hand was poised over a paper, as if he were about to write something.

"Er, nothing, really, sir," Peter replied, trying not to shrug. "Sorry for interrupting you. I'll be on my way," he continued.

After contemplating it for a moment, the older man spoke as the boy was halfway out the door. "She's the one you met in Narnia, is she not?"

Peter stopped. Professor Kirke was quite possibly one of the last people in the world that he wanted to talk about this even though he had brought up the topic before. The Professor always left him feeling just as, if not more, puzzled. But he also greatly respected him, for he was a rather insightful man. With a defeated sigh, Peter faced the Professor. "Yes, sir, she is…" he trailed off.

Down in the kitchen, Sophie looked like she might burst into tears. Susan was on the edge of her seat, ready to run and fetch a handkerchief or a glass of water or whatever her friend might need. Honestly, she knew that this needed to end now. She was tired of seeing them torment each other. So they weren't as old as they had been in Narnia before they left. The feelings were still there although at this rate Susan wouldn't be surprised if Sophie changed her mind. It was as plain as daylight to everyone but Sophie and Peter.

"Sophie…Don't cry," Lucy whispered. She held her half-eaten apple tightly, eyes squeezed shut. She had half a mind to smack Peter the next time she saw him. Perhaps then he would get some sense knocked into him. "He'll come around, you'll see."

"Thanks, Lu," Sophie replied with a sniff. She twisted the stem of her apple in an attempt to pull it off. "But I—"

"Sophie, come quick!" Edmund cried, barreling into the kitchen from out back. All three girls looked at him curiously. "I've got…I've got something, something to show you," he stammered. He was doubled over, hands on knees, gasping for breath. Closer inspection revealed that his hands and knees were muddied, his cheeks were full of color, and a light sheen of sweat shone on his forehead.

"Ed, whatever is the matter?" Susan asked. She pushed her chair back and walked over to the cupboard, grabbing a glass. She poured water into it from a pitcher, then carried it back to her brother.

Edmund swatted the glass away. "N-nothing's bloody wrong, Su," he insisted. He looked up at Sophie, who had also risen from her seat. "Please, Soph, c'mon."

"Alright, alright. Just calm down," she replied. She flipped her hair over her shoulder, then crouched down next to him. "What is it that's made you run all the way here?" she asked, feeling like she was dealing with a small child.

"You'll see!" he cried, standing back up. He grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her behind him. For a boy that didn't much appreciate exercise, he certainly had a bit of strength and energy in him. It made Sophie wonder if this had anything to do with Peter. Somewhere on the edge of her consciousness she registered that her wrist was going to be quite dirty by the end of this little escapade.

"Honesty, m'boy, is the key to any successful relationship," Professor Kirke concluded. "It doesn't matter if it's between brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, or young men and women. Remember how Lucy was completely honest with you about her discovery? A child's innocent way of handling things is most often times the simplest answer to our problems. She trusted you, wholeheartedly, which is another important aspect in a relationship, but we can discuss that at another time, should you feel the need." He smiled at his young charge, hoping that he had gotten across to him.

Peter rose from the overstuffed arm chair he had been sitting in. "Thank you, Professor," he said quietly, before exiting the room.

Professor Kirke watched him leave, a slight frown causing his bushy eyebrows to furrow together. Young people these days had no sense of logic, none at all. It made him wonder what was going on in their schools. Perhaps it was time for him to write a few letters, instead of just sitting around with his work all the day long.

Although he wasn't one to admit it, Edmund knew what made Peter tick. He'd needed to in order to get under his skin and push all of his buttons. Of course nowadays he didn't partake in such childish behavior, having learned to better appreciate his family. His brother was the typical oldest, male child type: He disliked having people worry over him. He wanted to be in control of things. He was also afraid of failure.

That was why, even if Edmund doubted that Peter knew this himself, Peter was afraid to tell Sophie that he loved her. The possibility that she might not reciprocate his feelings was terrifying. It was something that he had absolutely no control over, or so he thought. The boy was too dense to notice the way she acted towards him, which should have banished any doubts. Edmund's thoughts were interrupted when Sophie asked, "Ed, where in Aslan's name are we?"

He stopped and looked around, getting his bearings. "Oh, it's this way," he replied, leading her off in a different direction. He'd almost forgotten where he'd found them.

"Edmund!" Sophie gasped when they arrived. Her hands and knees were now muddy as well, as it had taken crawling under trees and over rocks to get to their destination. But it had been well worth the trek, for before her was a smattering of white calla lilies, quite possibly her most favorite flowers ever.

"_These are lovely, don't you think, Sophie?" Lucy asked, standing in front of some wine colored flowers. The two were wandering through one of Cair Paravel's many gardens. Spring had brought many shoots out of the ground and now that it was summer, there were blossoms everywhere. Their enticing scents wafted around, mingling together to produce a pleasant aroma that wasn't too overpowering. _

_Sophie smiled. "Indeed they are. But I don't think any flowers here shall ever compare to calla lilies, which the gardens seem to be lacking. Back home they were rather common," she said. She couldn't believe that they had been in Narnia for an entire year already. It seemed like just yesterday that they were still fretting over Edmund's whereabouts and the upcoming battle against the White Witch. _

"_What about this?"_

_Lucy and Sophie looked up to see Peter holding a single flower that did indeed resemble the afore mentioned flower. Its stem was long and the flower had the unique twisted cup shape, but it was a brilliant purple, almost lavender. He handed it over to Sophie, who stared at in wonder. Back in England they only had white calla lilies, although she had seen paintings of pink ones. "Peter, where did you find this?" she asked, unable to keep the astonishment out of her voice. _

_He flashed her a secretive smile and a wink. "I can't say." _

"_That's not fair, Peter," Lucy protested. "I want one too!" Sophie smiled lightly as the girl continued to pester her older brother, who only moved around the bushes, pretending not to hear her. _

"_Come, Lucy. We can make pictures of this one, that way even Su can have one too. Or we could embroider one, if you wanted," she offered. Her attention was still focused on the flower as she held out her free hand._

"_Embroider? No thank you. I'll settle for painting, Sophie," Lucy replied. She grabbed the older girl's hand and dragged her back towards the castle. "Let's go find Susan!" _

_Sophie looked back over her shoulder at Peter, who gave her a smile of thanks. She grinned, grateful to have such wonderful friends. _


	6. Chapter 6

Sophie heaved a happy sigh. She was completely covered in mud and grime, but Edmund had just made her day. For the first time since she had arrived at the Professor's home, her thoughts had been Peter-free. The last few hours had been spent tidying up the little garden—getting rid of obtrusive weeds, moving rocks around, cleaning up the dead things. As she worked, a few tears had managed to escape down her cheeks. They were happy tears, but tears nonetheless and Edmund hadn't been sure of what to do.

Still, he was happy that he had been able to give this to Sophie. She was practically his sister and the way that Peter treated her didn't sit well with the other Pevensie boy. Sometimes his older brother was too self-righteous for his oven good. There was a definite line between being a gentleman and being a git. Peter was certainly acting as the latter.

The air had cooled considerably, making Sophie look up at the sky through the trees. The sun was setting, which shocked her. More time had passed than she thought, which meant that Susan was probably worrying about them. Reluctantly, Sophie got to her feet. She took a moment to embed her surroundings in her memory before breaking the silence.

"Ed, I think we ought to get back now before Susan—or worse, MacReady, comes looking for us," she said.

Edmund nodded his agreement, dusting off his hands. Once out of the clearing, the two linked arms and began skipping, their heads thrown back in laughter.

Back at the house, Susan stood at the window, her arms folded over her chest. Miraculously, the MacReady had not yet noticed that her brother and Sophie had been missing for the better part of the day. Then again, visitors were expected tomorrow and none of the staff were about to trouble themselves with looking after the children. Susan looked back at Peter, who sat listening to the radio. His face was impassive and guarded. Lucy was on the floor tracing patterns on the rug. Normally Susan would have scolded her younger sister for being on the floor, but she was too preoccupied with worrying after Edmund and Sophie.

Suddenly, the sound of muffled laughter reached their ears. All three Pevensies made for the door, looking out into the hallway. Sure enough, Sophie and Edmund were rounding the corner. They were filthy and their arms were linked; they looked about as thick as thieves.

"Where on earth have you been?" Susan exclaimed, going to hug Sophie but stopping short. As glad as she was to see the other girl, she wasn't too keen on getting any dirt on herself.

"The secret garden," her friend admonished with an air of mystery.

Lucy's eyes widened at the prospect of a secret garden. "Oh, do take me there!" she begged, grabbing hold of Sophie's hand. The older girl grinned and nodded, knowing that Edmund wouldn't mind sharing the place.

Peter was glad that Edmund and Sophie were safe and sound, but he felt a twinge of guilt and jealousy. He wished that he had been able to make her smile as she did now. "You two should go get cleaned up before dinner," he said, his voice bitter.

Immediately the smile fell from Sophie's face and he regretted his words. "Fine," she replied shortly. She let go of Lucy's hand and strode off towards her room.

Peter felt as though disappearing into the ground right then and there would have been absolutely perfect. He could feel the heat of his siblings' accusatory glares. Clearing his throat, he opened and closed his mouth several times in an attempt to speak, to defend himself.

"You think you know everything, Peter," Edmund started, "but you don't."

"Edmund," said Susan in a warning tone. The last thing that she wanted to happen was for the two of them to start fighting as well.

"If you did," he continued, ignoring his older sister, "then you would have realized a long time ago that what you're doing isn't right. You'll lose her forever if you don't come down off of your high horse and let yourself be a little vulnerable. For her sake, make yourself a little less impenetrable."

Lucy slipped her hand into Peter's and gave it a gentle squeeze. "He's right, you know."

"_Edmund? Right about something?" Susan scoffed. Her hands continued moving as she spoke, never breaking their pattern as they formed a braid. _

_Sophie laughed. "Give him a little more credit than that, Su. He isn't King Edmund the Just for no reason."_

_The other girl's mouth twisted into a wry smile. "I suppose that is true, after all. Still, it will be some time before I think I can forget about the sorry little spoil-sport he used to be," she confessed. Susan's eyes danced with silent laughter. _

"_It is a bit strange, though, isn't it, to hear him speak of grown-up affairs like he actually knows what is going on?" Sophie mused, leaning back in her chair. Her fingers toyed with the edge of the book that sat in her lap._

"_I will admit that it is nice that he isn't so…young anymore. Growing up works wonders on people, does it not?" Susan asked._

"I wish he would just grow up," Sophie grumbled as she scrubbed herself down. Peter was so infuriating. She wondered what possessed him to be so thick, but she couldn't bring herself to think of the possibilities. What if it was something about her? What if…

She shook her head, staring up at the ceiling. She hadn't gone down to dinner, despite Susan and Lucy's begging. There was only one person that could make this right. Everyone knew that, even _he_ knew. Sophie wasn't allowing herself to even think his name anymore. It was pointless. There was nothing, absolutely nothing. All of her time, effort, and energy had been wasted. That was that, then, she supposed. Tears welled up in her eyes as she felt her heart wrenching.

A soft knock on her door made her hands brush against her cheeks, destroying the evidence of her anguish. She was too young to be going through all of this. Another knock made her sit up and swing her legs over the side of her bed. She was too young to understand any of it. A third knock made her sigh as she forced herself to cross over to the door. She was too young, period. Perhaps that was it.

Sophie pulled the door open, mild shock spreading across her features. "Professor Kirke?"


	7. Chapter 7

The Professor smiled down at her. "Good evening, Sophie. You missed a rather spectacular supper," he said conversationally.

Sophie was slightly taken aback. Professor Kirke was standing outside of her room making small talk. She wondered if perhaps his age was getting the better of him. "Not to be rude, Professor, but is there something that you needed?" she asked tentatively. Her nerves were rather on end and she judged that rest would be the best remedy for that, at the moment anyway.

"Yes, yes," Professor Kirke answered, waving the hand that held his pipe. "If I recall correctly, young Lucy's birthday is coming up soon, is it not?"

"It is in three days," Sophie replied, still confused.

The Professor smiled. "Splendid. I was hoping to arrange some sort of party for her, but old man that I am, I seem to have forgotten what exactly an eight year old girl's party might involve."

"Would you like me and Susan to plan it then?" she asked. She couldn't believe that out of all the things in his life, Professor Kirke was concerned with Lucy's birthday.

"Indeed I would, Sophie." He smiled again. "Now, I've a letter or two to write, so if you'll excuse me…" he trailed off, turning and walking down the hall.

Sophie gaped after him. She had been thinking of doing something for Lucy's birthday, but things had been rather complicated of late. This would be a welcome distraction for her tired emotions. Lucy did deserve a good birthday celebration, after all. In Narnia, following the Pevensies' coronation, her party had been the biggest celebration that the land had seen in a hundred years.

A few minutes after the Professor had left, Peter appeared at the end of the hallway. In the briefest of moments, he made eye contact with Sophie. Almost immediately, she slammed her door shut. He heard the lock turn and wished that he had the guts to walk over and knock on her door. Three small words; that was all it would take. Well, he hoped so anyway.

_Peter woke with a start. He was shaking, and his forehead was slick with sweat despite the cool air. At first he was confused by his surroundings, but then everything started coming back to him. He was in Archenland. How he hated traveling away from Cair Paravel—away from his family, away from Sophie. _

_The nightmare came back to him then too, causing him to shudder. If he should ever lose her, he didn't know what he would do. His hands clenched into fists as he tried to rid himself of the gruesome images. What had brought them on?_

_Even as he theorized, he knew the answer. He had brought it on himself. It was his fault that Sophie's smiles never reached her eyes. It was his fault that Sophie never laughed like she used to. It was his fault that Sophie rarely ever left her room. And instead of trying to make amends, he kept avoiding the problem. _

_The High King groaned in frustration and flopped back onto his pillows. He would tell her when he returned home. Perhaps tomorrow he would take a walk through the capital's marketplace to find her a present. With this thought in mind, he squeezed his eyes shut, willing sleep to come over him. _

"Lu! Lu! Wake up!"

The youngest Pevensie rolled onto her side, pulling her blanket over her face. "Five more minutes, Mum," she whined, still halfway in the land of dreams.

Sophie laughed. "Lucy, I am not your mum. Now wake up!" She reached over and shook the younger girl. "Don't you know what today is?" she asked.

Lucy's eyes popped open and she propped herself up on her elbows. "No…" she replied slowly, a look of false innocence in her eyes. "Would you care to tell me, Soph?"

"Hm." The older girl pressed her lips together and tapped her forefinger against her chin. "I suppose I could, but I think that would take the fun out of everything," she answered vaguely.

"Well if there's going to be fun, _I_ suppose I can get out of bed now," Lucy said. She swung her legs over the side of her bed and walked over to the closet. She glanced out of the window and was surprised to see how high the sun was in the sky. "Sophie!" she cried.

"What?" Sophie looked over to her in alarm.

"How could you have let me sleep in so late?" Lucy demanded, racing to get dressed now. She hopped around the room on one foot as she pulled on a stocking.

Sophie shrugged. "You didn't miss any—"

"Except breakfast," Lucy interrupted, fumbling with the buttons of her blouse. Her stomach chose the opportune moment to let out a gurgle of hunger.

"Well that would be a problem if I had overlooked that. But," she started, then paused. She reached over to the other side of Lucy's bed and produced a picnic basket with a flourish. It was her job today to distract the birthday girl while the others set up for her surprise party. In her pocket was a much abused, folded-up piece of paper covered in her neat writing. The list of Things to Do with Lucy had gotten ridiculously long after she had jotted down every single suggestion that Edmund could come up with.

"Ta da!" she continued. She set the basket on her lap and drummed her fingers on the twisted wicker handle.

Lucy mock frowned. "Are we having a picnic, then?" she asked, hands on her little hips.

The older girl nodded then stood up. "And afterwards we can pick flowers to make crowns and climb trees and play catch and watch the clouds and all sorts of other fun things," she explained cheerfully. She started towards the door and was halfway out when she realized that Lucy was still standing in the middle of the room. She turned back around and cocked her head to the side. "We can't do anything if you stay there, Lu," she said pointedly.

"Isn't anyone else going to come with us? Where are Su and Ed?" Lucy inquired, tactfully leaving out Peter's name.

Now it was Sophie's turn to frown. "What? I can't spend time with you? We used to spend hours doing things together, just us two girls," she replied, feigning hurt.

"I was only asking. Last one outside is a rotten egg!" Lucy cried, running past Sophie. She smiled to herself as she tried not to trip down the stairs, her eyes sparkling mischievously. Yes, everything was going according to plan.


	8. Chapter 8

_Lucy knocked timidly on Professor Kirke's door, glancing over her shoulder to make sure Susan or Edmund hadn't followed her. _

"_Come in," he called. _

_She pushed the door open and looked around the study. She loved the room, with all of its knowledge and frivolity. The Professor stood at one of the shelves, seemingly searching for a book. "Um, Professor Kirke, I think we have a much bigger problem than you thought," she said, perching on the edge of an armchair. _

"_I feared as much. They aren't getting along at all, eh?" he asked, selecting a book and taking it back with him to his desk. He set it down, left it unopened, and propped his elbows on the desk, bringing his fingertips together. "A little intervention is needed, I believe."_

_Lucy grinned. "I knew you would understand, sir." She sat back in her chair, making herself comfortable. "And I have a brilliant plan."_

"What can run but never walks, has a mouth but never talks, has a head but never weeps, has a bed but never sleeps?"

"Um…" Lucy trailed off, swinging her legs. She sat on the branch of a tree, while Sophie sat against the trunk. Both girls were barefoot, their shoes occupying the picnic basket. They had already feasted on the tea sandwiches, fruit, and cookies that Sophie had packed. Lucy could not have asked for a better birthday, although the best part was still to come.

Sophie giggled, the paper clutched in her hand shaking. She didn't believe that Ed had been able to solve these, even though he was the one to give them to her. Even Susan would have had trouble, which didn't seem to make it fair to let eight-year-old Lucy try and guess.

"I give up. This is too hard," the younger girl whined, just as Sophie had predicted she would when they came to this part of her list.

"A river," Sophie said. She sighed, closing her eyes and leaning her head against the tree. "I think we ought to get back now," she suggested, slipping the paper back into her pocket.

She couldn't believe how tired she was. Lucy had come up with an abundance of new games for them to play throughout the course of the day. It was almost as if she wanted to stay out of the house as long as possible. Sophie could hardly blame her, though. The weather could not have been more perfect. Plus they had been free of the tension that normally hung in the air.

"But I'm having so much fun!" Lucy exclaimed. She carefully made her way down from her branch, dropping lightly to her feet. She stood in front of Sophie and held out her hand. "Come on, I want to see your secret garden," she said.

Sophie got up and was thankful that there had been no rain in the last few days. "You are very lucky that there is no mud," she stated. She brushed off the back of her skirt before picking up the basket. "Perhaps we can bring some flowers back for Susan."

Lucy nodded in agreement. "She would like that."

"_Oh, do get it for her, Peter," Lucy said excitedly, running her fingers over the lovely lavender colored fabric. "She would look like a princess in it," she sighed. _

_Peter chuckled. "She practically is a princess," he mused. He lifted up a corner of the cloth, imagining it on Sophie. Pastels looked the best on her, complimenting her light complexion and her golden curls. _

"_You aren't going to get it for her, are you?" Lucy asked after a few minutes had passed in silence. _

"_She would be mad at me," he replied, continuing on. There was still a lot to see before they returned to the castle. "For some reason she doesn't take kindly to presents."_

_Lucy shook her head as she strode to catch up to her brother. He was incredibly thick. "Only when you give them to her in public. It's embarrassing for her, especially when they're big presents—like __horses__. Or could you not tell from the way her cheeks get all blotchy when you do?"_

_Peter smiled sheepishly. "That was awkward, wasn't it?" he asked ruefully. He looked up at the sky, wishing that the clouds would spell out some sort of answer to his perpetual problem. _

"_Don't worry so much," Lucy chided teasingly. She patted his arm. "You'll figure it out eventually."_

"_Was that supposed to be comforting?" he asked, but she had darted ahead of him to look at another vendor's wares. _

"Just over that log," Sophie called to Lucy. She watched as the younger girl clambered over the dead piece of wood. Her energy and enthusiasm knew no limits. It was refreshing and exhausting all at the same time.

Lucy gasped in delight as she caught sight of the flowers. "Oh Sophie! It's wonderful!"

"Isn't it? And I do think we'll be able to bring back one for Su," she said, surveying the makeshift garden. A couple of new wild flowers had sprung up since her last visit.

"We should have had our picnic here," Lucy said wistfully. "We ought to tomorrow," she suggested, looking up at Sophie with pleading eyes.

Sophie laughed. "Only if the others want to, and only if the weather permits it," she amended. She knelt down and brushed her fingertips against the flowers, a thoughtful look in her eyes.

_The sound of the waves crashing against the shore never ceased to be a comfort to Sophie. It was a soothing drone from where she sat just beyond the tide's reach. She drew intricate patterns in the grainy sand around her feet and hummed quietly to herself. The sun was setting slowly, the last warmth of the day fading. She gave a disgruntled sigh and drew her knees to her chest, resting her head on them. _

"_Sometimes I just don't understand him," she muttered. She stabbed at the sand, ruining the design. The truth was that it seemed like most of the time she could not figure out what Peter was thinking. She used to be relatively good at staying on the same page as him, but his mind had become a complicated labyrinth. _

_She reached over to her hip, where she kept the singularly most important item that she owned: a silver dagger with a topaz set in the pommel. She had received it on her first day in Narnia from none other than Santa Claus himself. She smiled at the memory as she pulled the dagger from its sheath. The sheath and the hilt were adorned with an intricate design of cinquefoils and their stems. She twisted the blade around, letting the last of the day's light bounce off of it. She contemplated whether or not to use the thing, for it had the property of letting her see people, places, or specific things in its reflective surface._

_Sophie fell backwards, not caring that she would have a difficult time getting the sand off later. "Show me Peter," she mumbled, staring intently at her dagger. At that moment a fanfare sounded, signaling his return to Cair Paravel. She sat back up and returned her dagger to its place, but not before catching a glimpse of Peter's face. He looked as regal as ever, but his expression was still guarded and a little tense, she thought._

Sophie drew her fingers away from the plant, a hurt look on her face. Lucy's earlier smile melted away. She wondered what the older girl was thinking about.

"Let's go back now," Sophie said. "We'll want to wash up before supper," she added. "You know how MacReady gets." Lucy dutifully kept up the pretense that she had no idea what was going on and followed after her friend.


	9. Chapter 9

Peter moved robotically as he set the table for Lucy's surprise birthday dinner. He could have sworn he set six places, but they kept dwindling down to two. After this had happened for a fifth time, he stopped what he was doing. His muddled brain struggled to comprehend this phenomenon. He was certain that he had just laid out enough plates for the lot of them. Now there were only settings at the head of the table and the seat to its left. It was slightly maddening.

"Ed, don't you think we ought to tell him now?" asked Susan. She and Ed stood right outside of the dining room door, peering inside.

He shook his head. "If he wants to know what's going on, he can ask," Edmund replied. He headed back to the kitchen, a stack of plates in his hands. It was nearly time for Lucy and Sophie to return, which meant they ought to bring the food out soon.

Susan watched her confused brother for a moment more, worry etched on her face. Then she turned around, nearly bumping into the Professor. "Oh! Sorry, sir," she apologized.

Professor Kirke waved her off, then asked in a stage whisper, "How is he faring?"

"Not very well. He doesn't appear to be all there," Susan answered, tapping her forefinger against the side of her head.

"Hm." The Professor gave a short tug to his beard, thinking. "I'll go talk to him," he announced before striding into the room.

Susan fought to keep from wringing her hands as she walked to the kitchen. This seemed like the last pull, the one chance that they had to try and help Sophie and Peter set things right. If this didn't work, then she wasn't sure what they would do.

Professor Kirke cleared his throat, causing Peter to turn around. "Oh, hello Professor," he said in a distant voice.

"You seem distracted," the Professor observed. "A lot on your mind today?"

Peter hesitated, as he always did before talking to the Professor. It wasn't because he didn't trust him but because Peter simply wasn't one to talk all that openly, especially when it was about his feelings. That he had already confided in the Professor twice before was something of a miracle. Except for, of course, when he and Sophie were actually on speaking terms. She could read him like a book. He missed her, a lot.

When he didn't answer, the Professor continued. "I don't know if you remember, but you told me once before that if you didn't tell someone something that you would never forgive yourself."

A spark of recognition flashed in Peter's eyes. His mouth moved open to speak, but no sound came out. He set the glass that he was holding on the table and sat down. "I've made a mess of things, sir, and I don't know how to fix it," he confessed.

"Now, do you remember what else I talked to you about?" the Professor asked, his voice even, before placing his pipe back between his lips. It was all he could do from shaking the boy by the shoulders and shouting the answers to his face. But that would be no way for the youth to learn, no it would not. They always needed to figure things out on their own, however painful it might be to watch them do so.

Peter massaged his temples as he thought back on the few conversations he'd had with Professor Diggory Kirke. "Something to do with honesty," he ventured. He felt as though there was a thick fog in his mind, keeping him from thinking clearly.

The Professor nodded. "And since then, how honest have you been with Miss Andrews?"

"I haven't lied to her," Peter said defensively. Was there really a difference between lying to someone and withholding information? _No_, he thought sadly. _No, there isn't._

"Well then, m'boy, you have yourself a problem," the Professor stated, still standing. He moved around the table, to stand at the window, which overlooked a small garden in his backyard. If it weren't for his staff, the place would be such a mess. He was glad that he was able to share this fine house with these young people, for all the trouble that they seemed to cause.

"But I can't tell her, Professor. You don't understand!" Peter cried. He rose from his chair and faced the Professor's back. "How can I tell her that she means the world and more to me? How can I tell her that I am willing to do anything for her? How can I tell her that her beauty outshines that of the very stars that twinkle in our sky? I want so badly to be able to make up for all of the sorrow and pain that I have caused her. If my indecision has driven me this mad, then I do not know how she is still sane. I have broken her heart for fear of my own breaking."

Applause was the last thing Peter expected to hear at that moment, yet it rang noisily through the room. The Professor turned back towards him, a smile on his old face, but his hands were still clasped behind his back. The oldest Pevensie boy looked over to the hallway to see Edmund and Susan, the pair of them clapping. They also wore aprons over their clothes, but he did not take as much notice to that.

"He's finally come to his senses!" Edmund cheered, striding over to his brother and throwing an arm about his shoulders.

Susan was positively beaming as she joined them. "Indeed he has," she agreed, stopping in front of her older sibling. She took one of his hands and placed something small, circular, and coolly metallic in it. Closing his fingers around it, she said, "I know you'll do the right thing, Peter. We have faith in you."

"We all do," Edmund added, releasing his hold. "Now, if you'll excuse us, I do believe Sophie will be arriving any-"

"Wait! Sophie, my hair ribbon!"

"Lucy, honestly. I'm certain that we're already late for dinner as it is."

"It's alright, _I'm_ certain that they'll wait for us."

Susan and Edmund nearly jumped out of their skin at the sound of Lucy and Sophie's voices, but relaxed when they realized that Lucy must have been ahead of the other girl and heard them still talking. She was a clever girl, despite her being the youngest. For that, they were all thankful.

"As I was saying," Ed started, but Susan quickly cut him off.

"I think he gets the idea, Edmund," she chided, guiding him to the butler's pantry between the kitchen and the dining room. "We need to be ready when she gets here."

"And I will take that as my cue to leave," the Professor said. He grabbed Peter's free hand and gave it a firm shake before exiting.

Now Peter was left to himself, his thoughts no longer confused, but cohesively flowing through his mind. It was his heart he was concerned about, as it beat wildly in his chest. Its dull thudding seemed to fill the room, making him painfully aware of just how important this night had proved to turn out. The hardest part was still to come, as he waited for Sophie to arrive. He slipped his hand into his pocket, depositing what he knew to be a ring. This made him wonder what it was exactly that Susan, Edmund, the Professor, and clearly Lucy, expected him to accomplish.


	10. Chapter 10

"Alright, Lu," Sophie said with a smile, one hand on the dining room door and the other holding one of Lucy's hands. She pushed the door open and began shouting, "Happy Birthday!" but stopped short. Instead of Susan, Edmund, Professor Kirke, and Peter standing there with Lucy's birthday cake, only Peter stood. His hands were in his pockets, his face caught between being excited and afraid.

"Wait, what? Lucy, I—This is wrong. Where…I…" she trailed off, not making any sense in the least. She shook her head, the locks of hair left out of her bun swinging from side to side.

The youngest Pevensie gave her older friend's hand a squeeze. "Actually, Soph, this is quite right," she stated. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to find my partners in crime."

Sophie did her best not to gape after Lucy as she exited the room, leaving her alone with Peter. Being alone with Peter was definitely not what she had wanted this night, or any other for that matter. She turned to go, to run away because she could not face him. Even as they planned for what was supposed to be a birthday party, there were no words exchanged between the two. Susan and Edmund had—oh, they had been plotting with Lucy all along. And the Professor too no doubt. This was all rather upsetting.

Fingers closed around her wrist, keeping her from going any further. "Sophie, please don't leave," he asked quietly. "I didn't know about any of this either. But we might as well go along with it, at least for Lucy's sake. Humor her on her birthday."

There, he had done it: used her weakness against her. She couldn't say no to Lucy, even when the younger girl wasn't even there. She nodded her assent and allowed Peter to guide her to her seat. What was any of this going to solve, anyway? He was just going to—Actually, she had no idea what he might do. She no longer knew him as well as she had. It was both of their faults, his for being a stupid boy and hers for not being brave enough. She supposed that she could not truly call that a fault in him. Still, his inability was as much of a culprit as her inaction.

Peter could sense Sophie's distress and even though she was looking down at her plate, he knew that there were probably tears gathering in her eyes. He didn't blame her. After his treatment of her over the past month, the past few years really, he could understand why she might not want to be anywhere near to him. He wanted to tell her everything, but he didn't know where to begin. It was almost as if there was a mental block keeping him from saying anything to make things right between them.

"Sophie, Soph," he said, trying to get her to meet his gaze. "Sophiana."

At the sound of his old nickname for her, her reserve broke down and the waterworks began. That was just perfect. She mentally cursed at herself for being so emotional and would have bolted from the room if Edmund hadn't chosen that moment to enter.

"Dinner is served," he announced, setting salads down in front of them. "And what would you like to drink this evening, sir? Miss?" he asked, keeping his tone light.

"Water will be fine, Ed," Peter answered, trying to keep the annoyance he felt out of his voice.

"An excellent choice, sir. It will be out shortly." He gave a quick bow before leaving them.

Sophie was painfully aware that the only sound in the room now was the sound of her sniffling as she tried not to become hysterical. She kept her head bent, wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand. Of course she had forgotten her handkerchief on Lucy's dresser; the situation wouldn't be ironic enough without that happening. He'd barely spoken to her and she was a wreck. She didn't know how she would last through the meal.

"It doesn't sound good out there," Susan whispered tersely when Edmund returned to the butler's pantry. "What happened?" she asked.

Edmund shrugged, filling a pitcher with water. "I dunno. But she's crying," he replied before leaving.

"She's crying?!"

"Lucy, hush," Susan murmured, pulling her sister into a hug to comfort the both of them.

_Is it just me or is it ridiculously warm in here?_ Edmund thought to himself as he poured their drinks. Neither one of them had touched their food. Sophie was still weeping and Peter simply sat there, gripping the arms of his chairs with such force that his knuckles were turning white. What a disaster this was proving to be. He had a feeling that continuing to serve them dinner would be a waste of food. Besides, this was not something they could fix while they just sat there.

"I'm sorry, Sophie," Peter said once Ed had gone again. "For everything," he added. Much to his surprise, Sophie began laughing.

Something inside of her snapped as she wiped away the last of the moisture at the corners of her eyes, her laughter filling the air. "You're sorry? That's it? Peter, I don't want your apologies. They don't change anything, just like your excuses didn't change anything," she spat, pushing her chair back to stand up.

He knew that he deserved this verbal abuse, but that didn't stop the anger welling up inside of him. He didn't take being yelled at well, to say the least. "What will change things, then? How can I make it up to you? When will you be happy with the way things are?" he asked, his voice gaining volume with every question. He was on his feet now too, towering over her tiny frame.

"I don't like this." Lucy spoke softly as she pressed her ear to the door.

"_Are they arguing?" Susan asked, a bit surprised, standing next to her sister to press her own ear against the door. _

"_Just listen," Lucy instructed. _

"_Why does it matter?" Sophie shouted. "It's a joust, Your Majesty. You've participated in many over the years. All you have to do is—"_

"_I know what is expected of me, Lady Sophie," the High King growled. He paced back and forth in front of his window like a caged animal. _

"_Then I must ask again: why does it matter? If you had acted sooner you might have been able to pick Queen Susan or Queen Lucy, but as it is, they are both being represented in the tourney," she stated. "Besides, there are still plenty of noblewomen who would be—"_

"_What about you?" Peter inquired, locking his eyes with hers._

_Color tinged Sophie's cheeks as she replied, "I won't be attending. I thought you knew. Everybody knows, have known for the past few weeks." _

"_Why?" It was impossible for him to keep the surprised shock out of his voice._

"_If you'll excuse me, I don't believe we've accomplished anything and I have a lot on my to-do list this day." She turned about quickly, causing Susan and Lucy to jump away from the door only a moment before Sophie brushed past them. _

"Happy with the way things are? Is it really so hard for you to understand why I can't be? Must I spell everything out for you?" Sophie asked, jabbing her finger into his chest to punctuate her questions.

Peter grabbed her hand, the sting of her physical abuse pushing him over the edge. "Maybe it is that hard for me to understand. Maybe you ought to spell it out for me. I don't know!"

The volume and bite in his voice made Sophie flinch and brought more unbidden tears to her eyes. She couldn't believe that this was happening. There would be no romantic confessions of love tonight, of that much she was certain. If she wanted him to say it, then she was going to have to ask. She wasn't a princess, he wasn't a prince, and this was clearly not a fairy tale.

"Three words, Peter. Eight letters. Say it."


	11. Chapter 11

His palms were sweating and his breath caught in his throat. How was he going to say it? How was he going to articulate a lifetime's worth of feeling by saying three little words?

"I love you." The words came tumbling out of his mouth, so softly that Peter wasn't sure that she heard them. "I love you," he repeated, louder this time. He held her hand more gently now and kissed the back of it. "I love you, Sophie Andrews. I have since the beginning of our days in Narnia and I always will."

Sophie did her best not to sigh with relief as the frown on her face morphed into a smile so wide that her cheeks began to hurt. She had been waiting too long to hear those words. But what happened next was something that she most definitely was not ready for. With a smile on his face, Peter bent down from standing to get on one knee. Time seemed to slow as he reached into his pants pocket and kept his hand in a fist when he removed it. Sophie's eyes widened, her heart skipped a beat, and her brain tried to understand what was about to happen before it actually took place.

"Peter, what are you—" she began to ask, but he silenced her with a look. She bit down on her lip to keep herself from chattering mindlessly, her smile still in place.

To say that Peter felt bad for making Sophie wait another moment to hear his next words would have been the understatement of the decade. Still, he needed the time to calm his nerves. It would be horridly embarrassing for him if his voice cracked while he proposed to her. He took a deep breath before looking her straight in the eyes. This really was all it would take to fix years of things unsaid. Four more words.

"_Sophie Andrews, will you make me the happiest man in Narnia and take me as your husband?"_

_Peter stared at his reflection in the mirror as he let the words hang in the air. That didn't sound quite right. How did one go about asking the person that they loved to spend the rest of their lives together? He frowned and turned away from the mirror, then proceeded to pace. It made him feel old, but it was something that he found himself doing frequently. There was a lot on his mind after all. _

"_Sophie, will you—"_

"_Yes?"_

_And there she was, standing in the doorway, her hand poised to knock. Well didn't Peter feel silly with his mouth opening and closing noiselessly. He had nearly forgotten that he had sent for her. Now that she was here, though, he felt all of his self-confidence leave him. She was looking at him expectantly, so he cleared his throat and said, "Will you please look over this month's expenses with me?"_

"Will you marry me?" His blue eyes locked with her grey ones as he waited, fighting to maintain his courage. It felt as if a large weight had been lifted from his shoulders and he literally straightened up. He had done his part; now his fate was in Sophie's hands, however cliché that seemed.

The girl in question found herself at a loss for words even though she knew her answer. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest as she continued to stare at Peter. The look in his eyes was expectant but Sophie's mouth had gone dry. It was hard to believe that this was really happening. They had just been fighting moments ago and now he was asking her to marry him. She felt her eyes prick, the sensation that told her she would soon be crying, but this time, they would be tears of joy. There was only the matter of her actually saying something…anything.

"Marry you?" she asked, feeling her heart leap into her throat as she watched him nod. Her brain was finally managing to wrap itself around the present situation and she said, "We can't be married!" rather brusquely. The way his face fell made her instantly cup her hands around his cheeks. Her voice was tender as she continued, "At least not right away. Not now. We're too young here. In this world, we've known each other for, what? Two months? What would people say?! Never mind the fact that it most likely isn't even legally possible…I'm fairly certain there's some sort of age before which you cannot be married."

"Soph."

"I love you, Peter, forever and for always and I have dreamt about marrying you more times than I care to count. But we can't get married. Not yet," she finished. She inhaled deeply, surprised that he had only interrupted her once.

He was looking at her with such uncertainty that Sophie feared for the worst. "Is that a yes, then?" he inquired, his face still in her hands.

"Yes, Peter Pevensie," she answered. "A thousand times yes," she added with a grin.

A matching grin adorned his face as he opened his hand to reveal the ring that Susan had given to him earlier. It was simple and elegant; in short, it was perfect. Sophie pulled her left hand away from Peter's face, allowing him to slip the golden band onto her ring finger. They breathed in quiet admiration of the single pearl that ornamented the piece of jewelry. Complete and utter contentment radiated off of them, making their eyes shine. Blue met grey and Peter got to his feet, feeling pleasantly lightheaded. He knew what he wanted to do next, but wasn't entirely sure how to do so.

In the moment that he hesitated, the door behind which Susan, Edmund, and Lucy were hiding swung open with a noisy creak. The three other Pevensie siblings lurched forward at the sudden loss of support. Susan looked sheepish, but Edmund and Lucy were positively beaming. Quiet filled the room as the two parties stared at each other. Sophie certainly hadn't been expecting that, even after all of the unexpected things that had just transpired. Peter had hoped they would have waited to reveal themselves. After he kissed his new fiancée for the first time ever would have been nice.

"Well aren't you going to kiss her?"

Five pairs of eyes bulged and turned to see Professor Kirke enter from the hall that connected the dining room to the kitchen. The Professor seemed completely at ease, holding a pipe in one hand and a plate bearing a slice of cake in the other. He looked into the face of each child before giving a shrug and leaving the way he came.

Sophie was the first to react. Her laughter filled the room as she brought her hands over her face in embarrassment. If the hot feeling on her cheeks was an indication of anything, she knew that she was blushing a vibrant shade of red. Susan and Lucy were laughing with her shortly thereafter. The sisters smiled at each other, glad that things were finally starting to work out for their brother and their dearest friend. It had taken long enough but perhaps it was all for the better. Ed didn't join the girls, instead shaking his head and rolling his eyes. He was, without a doubt, just as happy as everyone else. He simply hoped that they would all think twice before accusing him of being thick or stubborn or slow in the future.

Peter was the last to react. He knew that the Professor certainly meant well but at times he was more than the oldest Pevensie could fathom. Even after the amount of conversing he had done with the old man, he constantly found himself wondering if Professor Kirke was touched in the head. At any rate, he did have a point, so Peter reached out and pulled Sophie into a warm embrace. She wrapped her arms around him in response and leaned her forehead against his chest. Edmund cleared his throat as he stood up, before ushering his sisters out of the room. Over the top of Sophie's head, he winked at his older brother.

This was a moment that the two had imagined for too long, although never in a scenario like the one they were currently in. Sophie inhaled, relishing in the feeling of Peter's arms hugging her close to him. He exhaled quietly, gathering his courage. She looked up as he looked down. He leaned towards her and she rose up on the balls of her feet. Their eyelids fluttered closed when their lips finally met and they smiled into their first kiss.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Wow. I can't believe that it's been almost four years since I started writing this silly little story. I've got one more chapter to write, but before I get to that, I'd like to say thank you to all of my readers and reviewers. Lots of thanks to my wonderful betas as well. Please go back and re-read the previous chapters, as I've edited them with the hope that they don't sound too much like they were written by a fifteen-year-old.

I'm going to write one more chapter for this story, so if there's anything that you would like to see happen, please feel free to leave a review or message me. Also, I'll be writing a sequel to this set during Prince Caspian, so be on the look out for that~!


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